Collaborators

Metabiomics® is developing products and services based on advances in human microbiome metagenomic sciences. They have developed and implemented patent-pending and proprietary technology for biomarker discovery and molecular diagnostics that integrates advances in next-generation sequencing, computational biology, bioinformatics, microbial ecology, and systems biology. They have developed and implemented patent-pending and proprietary technology for biomarker discovery and molecular diagnostics that integrates advances in next-generation sequencing, computational biology, bioinformatics, microbial ecology, and systems biology. The company is actively pursuing venture capital and grants for clinical validation trials.

BioSpherex® LLC was established in 2002 support commercial research and development in collaboration with George Mason University. The collaboration has been successful in fostering the commercialization of a number of technologies.

The MBAC is collaborating with researchers from across Canada on investigating Inflammatory Bowel Disease. We are performing Multitag Pyrosequencing and Systems Biology analysis with Universities from across Canada.

Oral Mycobiome Project

Oral Mycobiome Project

We are using a Systems Biology approach characterize the Metabiome of the oral mycobiome, the oral microbiome, and the oral metabolome in the background of HIV infection.

Vaginal Microbiome and HIV Infection

We have been working with Greg Spear and Alan Landay characterizing the vaginal microbiome from humans and macaques, investigating the influence of HIV infection on the vaginal microbiome and investigating the influence of the vaginal microbiome on HIV infection rates and HIV expression. Additionally, we have been been investigating the microbial ecology of the vaginal microbiome through the estrus cycle.

Alan Landay Professor and Chair, Department of Immunology and Microbiology.

Their research group works on three areas that are all based in the immunology of virus infections, with a focus on innate immunity and HIV.
A. The effect of lower genital tract bacterial flora on HIV infection.
B. The interaction of the complement system with viruses.
C. Initial steps (binding) in the infection of cells by HIV.

Robin Couch

Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Robin is working with the faculty and students at the MBAC developing technology to interrogate the metabolites of the human micorbiome (the metabiome).